Paris St-Germain took a big step towards the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad in the first leg of their last-16 tie at Parc des Princes. Kylian Mbappe scored on his return from injury and Angel Di Maria added a late second to give the French champions a comfortable advantage.
Mbappe makes the difference
Mbappe, who missed PSG’s 3-1 league win over Lille on Saturday with an ankle problem, showed no signs of rustiness as he tormented the Sociedad defence with his pace and skill. The 25-year-old France striker opened the scoring in the 17th minute, when he latched onto a through ball from Marco Verratti and slotted past Alex Remiro.
Mbappe could have had a hat-trick, but he was denied by Remiro twice and hit the post with a curling shot. He also set up chances for his teammates, but Mauro Icardi and Neymar failed to convert. Mbappe has now scored 21 goals in 22 games in all competitions this season, including four in the Champions League.
Sociedad fail to trouble Navas
Real Sociedad, who topped their group ahead of Inter Milan, were unable to trouble PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas throughout the game. The Spanish side, who are seventh in La Liga, lacked creativity and penetration in the final third, and only managed one shot on target.
Sociedad’s best chance came in the first half, when Mikel Oyarzabal fired over from close range after a cross from Adnan Januzaj. The visitors also had a penalty appeal turned down, when David Silva went down under a challenge from Marquinhos. The referee did not award the spot-kick, and the VAR did not intervene.
Di Maria seals the win
PSG, who finished second in their group behind Manchester City, continued to dominate in the second half, and sealed the win in the 88th minute. Di Maria, who came on as a substitute for Neymar, scored with a low shot from the edge of the box, after a clever pass from Julian Draxler.
The Argentine winger, who has been linked with a move away from PSG, celebrated by pointing to the club badge on his shirt. Di Maria has now scored six goals and provided nine assists in 24 games in all competitions this season, including two goals and four assists in the Champions League.
What’s next?
The second leg of the tie will take place at the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastian on Wednesday, March 7. PSG will be confident of reaching the quarter-finals for the second consecutive season, while Sociedad will need a miracle to overturn the deficit. PSG will also face Monaco in the French Cup quarter-finals on Sunday, while Sociedad will host Levante in La Liga on Saturday.